After the Battle: A Wariors fan fiction
by LividTundra
Summary: This is set after the battle of the Last Hope. The first chapter is in Bumblestripe's point of view. (The chapters switch off between Bumble and Dove)
1. Chapter 1

After the Battle: A Warriors fanfiction

Chapter one- Bumblestripe

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting." Bramblestar's voice echoed strangely around camp. It was the first Clan meeting since Firestar's death. Bumblestripe padded out of the warrior's den, followed by his sister Blossomfall, Ivypool, Birchfall, and Dovewing.

Bumblestripe and the other Clan members sat underneath the Highledge. Bramblestar and Jayfeather sat side by side on the ledge.

"Now that I have traveled to the Moonpool and received my nine lives from StarClan, it is time to name ThunderClan's new deputy," Bramblestar meowed. Several cats looked around them, trying to guess the new deputy.

"Squirrelflight will be the new deputy." Squirrelflight looked around, shocked.

"I hope you know that I never meant to hurt you. You were a wonderful father and I was proud to raise these kits with you. I will proudly be your deputy," Squirrelflight mewed. Bramblestar nodded, his amber eyes filled with affection. He and Squirrelflight had rekindled their friendship and became mates again.

"Graystripe, lead a hunting patrol," Bramblestar ordered.

"Yes, Bramblestar," Graystripe meowed.

"The Clan meeting is over." Bramblestar flicked his tail and leapt off the ledge and went into his den. Squirelflight followed him. Graystripe stood under the ledge.

"Birchfall, Whitewing, Dovewing, and Bumblestripe, join the hunting patrol." Bumblestripe turned and padded to Graystripe and waited for the rest of the patrol. Dovewing had gone into the warriors' den and reappeared, trotting towards the patrol, her beautiful pale gray coat shining in the late leaf-fall sun.

"Hi, Bumblestripe," she mewed. Bumblestripe's pulse began to quicken.

"Hey," Bumblestripe managed to get the one word out. She turned her clear blue eyes at him in concern.

"You okay? You're kind of quiet," she mewed. Bumblestripe licked his pale chest fur in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just still trying to get over Firestar's death," he meowed. Dovewing's head was suddenly under his chin.

"We all are," she mewed softly. Graystripe flicked his tail.

"Let's go. The rest are here," he meowed. Dovewing brought her head back and followed Bumblestripe and the patrol out of camp. Graystripe led the patrol into the forest and the cats broke apart to hunt. Bumblestripe parted his jaws and scented a mouse. He crouched and stalked the mouse, which made itself visible from under the leaves. He leapt and caught it, killing it in one swift bite.

After a few more kills, he took his prey and joined the rest of the patrol. Whitewing had two blackbirds, Dovewing had two mice and a vole, Birchfall had two squirrels and Graystripe had two mice.

"Lots of fresh-kill this leaf-fall!" Whitewing exclaimed Graystripe nodded.

"Be glad. Leaf-bare is near," he pointed out. Graystripe led the cats back to camp and they dropped their catches into the fresh-kill pile. It was near sunset when Bumblestripe began grooming himself outside the warriors' den.

"Wanna share?" Bumblestripe turned to see his sister, Briarlight, lying beside him holding a plump mouse between her jaws.

"Shouldn't you be in the medicine den?" Bumblestripe asked. Briarlight twitched her ears.

"I should be allowed out _sometimes_, shouldn't I?" she retorted.

"Sure, of course," Bumblestripe muttered. Briarlight dragged herself until she was across from her brother and dropped the mouse.

"Eat up," she mewed, diving into her share. Bumblestripe lowered his head and took a bite. Honestly, he wasn't very hungry. Dovewing's sudden affection to him surprised him. He'd always had a crush on her, since the day he laid eyes on her.

"You have the rest. I'm not hungry," Bumblestripe meowed, pushing the mouse toward his sister.

"Really? Are you okay?" she mewed. Bumblestripe decided not to attract too much attention to himself. Cats will ask questions.

"Yeah, fine," he mewed. She flicked her ears and was quiet for a moment.

"Sure, okay. See you around," she murmured, looking back at the mouse. He turned into the warriors' den and sat on his nest.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two- Dovewing

Dovewing sat under the Highledge, eating a vole. She looked up and saw Bumblestripe walk into the warriors' den. He had told her he was still grieving Firestar's death. A sudden wave of sadness washed over her. She suddenly missed her former leader. He was her kin, after all. He was her grandfather's uncle and a noble leader. She soon felt the need to talk to some cat.

She finished eating and got rid of her scraps and padded to the warriors' den. Bumblestripe was sitting in his nest, grooming.

"Bumblestripe?" Dovewing mewed. He whipped his pale gray and black head around.

"Oh, hi. You scared me," he muttered. She padded closer and sat beside his nest.

"Sorry. Hey, want to take a walk with me?" Her question seemed to take her clanmate by surprise.

"Um, sure… Where?" Bumblestripe asked.

"The creek?" Dovewing suggested.

"Sure," he meowed. The two cats walked out of the camp and into the forest, along the worn path that led to a nearby creek that fed into the Moonpool.

"Is something wrong?" Bumblestripe meowed. Dovewing swished her tail.

"Yes, actually. I really miss Firestar," she mewed. Bumblestripe nodded.

"Like you said, we all do," he mewed. Dovewing looked up at him.

"He was kin," she mewed.

"He and my father were very close. He was like kin to me and my sisters, too." There was sadness in his voice. The sun had set and the forest was quickly darkening. The creek was very near, within earshot.

"Yeah, I bet Graystripe is devastated," Dovewing mewed. Bumblestripe looked down.

"He is, but doesn't want to show it too much. He has Clan business to deal with," he meowed.

"He could make a good deputy," she mewed.

"Maybe, but it won't be long before he joins the elders' den," Bumblestripe pointed out. The two cats arrived at the creek. Dovewing sat on the bank, followed by Bumblestripe. The sun had given way to a full moon and shining stars that reflected on the creek's glassy surface. Dovewing could see her wavy reflection in the water.

"It's so beautiful here," Bumblestripe muttered. She felt his tail rest behind her, his fur grazing hers. She started at first, but let it stay. After her and Tigerheart had parted ways, her and Bumblestripe's friendship had strengthened a lot. She looked up at him and their eyes met, his warm amber eyes melting into her icy blue eyes. She had never felt this way near him.

Suddenly, a rustle in the bushes behind them broke the gaze.

"What was that?" she mewed.

"Maybe a mouse?" he suggested. Dovewing shook her head.

"The sound was too loud for a mouse..." she trailed off as her senses took over. A large vixen was crouched in the foliage, about to attack.

"Move!" Dovewing leapt and shoved into Bumblestripe, knocking him sideways.

"What?!" he snapped, confused. His question was answered as the fox leapt out of the bush and snarled at them.

"Go, move!" Dovewing shouted. Bumblestripe sprinted forward, along the bank of the creek. The fox was gaining on them. Bumblestripe turned on his heels and lashed out a paw and scratched the fox's eye. The scratch drew blood, and the fox stopped to blink as scarlet drops showered the ground. Soon, she turned back, lashing her tail in anger. Dovewing looked at the gray tabby tom in anger.

"What was that?" she demanded. He looked surprised.

"What was what?" he asked.

"Why did you fight back? You could've been killed," she muttered.

"We can't outrun a fox," he meowed, "and there was a dead end coming up." Dovewing looked forward. The path stopped abruptly at a large boulder.

"Oh, sorry," she murmured.

"Nevermind that. We should go back to camp and let Jayfeather look at that paw," he said. Dovewing looked down at her paw. There was a large gash, probably from a stick or something when they were running. She didn't notice the pain until Bumblestripe had pointed it out.

"Ok, let's go," she muttered.


End file.
